Boston Flora

Tag: Marta McDowell

  • Saturday, May 2, 10:00 am – 11:00 am Eastern – Beatrix Potter: Artist, Gardener, Writer, Conservationist, Online

    The Penn Studio School of Art presents an online talk with Marta McDowell on May 2 at 10 am on Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter was an artist, author, gardener, landowner, sheep breeder, and conservationist.

    Author, educator and lecturer Marta McDowell will explore how Potter developed her love of drawing, painting, and gardening and share how these passions came to be reflected in her beloved, classic children’s tales.Lecture is live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. The recording will be available to students for 3 months after the live lecture, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.

    Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite. Our business hours are 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. All lecture information and email correspondence will be sent during business hours. If students purchase the lecture outside business hours or during the weekend the lecture information will be sent the following business day.

    $10. Register at https://www.pennstudioschool.com/spring-2026-courses-workshops/p/beatrix-potter-artist-gardener-writer-conservationist-online-lecture-spring-2026-w/-marta-mcdowell

  • Saturday, October 1, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Unearthing the Secret Garden

    Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic The Secret Garden has inspired generations of readers to cultivate their own bits of earth. Author Marta McDowell still remembers the thrill of reading about Mary Lennox turning the key in the door to the locked garden for the first time. This engaging and illustrated lecture on October 1 at 10 at Hollister House Garden in Washington, Connecticut explores Burnett’s life, work, and the passion for flowers and gardening that inspired her book.

    Marta McDowell teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and consults for private clients and public gardens. Her latest book is Unearthing The Secret Garden, about the inspiration for the classic children’s book. Timber Press also published Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, New York Times-bestselling All the Presidents’ Gardens, and Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, now in its seventh printing. Marta’s new book about garden themes in murder mysteries, is due out from Timber Press in 2023. She was the 2019 recipient of the Garden Club of America’s Sarah Chapman Francis Medal for outstanding literary achievement.

    Advance reservation is suggested. Hollister House will follow all state and local guidelines for Covid-19 at our events.

    HHG members $25 Non-members $35 Register HERE.

  • Sunday, March 7, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Landscaping Your Historic Home, Online

    Whether your house was built in the 17th century or the 21st, you can create a garden to suit its style. This online Berkshire Botanical Garden lecture on March 7 at 1 pm Eastern by author, horticulturist and landscape historian Marta McDowell covers American residential gardening fashions from the Colonial period to the present. In this online class you will learn design basics and the steps to take to create an authentic, appealing landscape for your home. $15 for BBG members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/landscaping-your-historic-home

    Marta McDowell teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and consults for private clients and public gardens. Her latest book is Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life. She is also the author of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, New York Times bestselling All the Presidents’ Gardens, and Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, now in its seventh printing, all published by Timber Press. Marta is working on a new book about The Secret Garden and its author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, due out from Timber Press in 2021. She is the 2019 recipient of the Garden Club of America’s Sarah Chapman Francis Medal for outstanding literary achievement.

  • Thursdays, February 4 & 11, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm – Asian Garden Styles, Online

    Explore some of the traditional garden styles of China and Japan in this two-part Berkshire Botanical Garden online class February 4 and 11 with garden historian Marta McDowell. We will study the stylistic elements and horticultural practices of the traditional Chinese scholar garden and the Japanese meditation garden, stroll garden and tea garden. The interactive online sessions will include lectures, video clips, class discussion and small group activities via “breakout groups,” so please be prepared to participate and learn. $35 for BBG members. $45 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/asian-garden-styles

    Marta McDowell teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and consults for private clients and public gardens. Her latest book is Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life. She is also the author of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, New York Times bestselling All the Presidents’ Gardens, and Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, now in its seventh printing, all published by Timber Press. Marta is working on a new book about The Secret Garden and its author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, due out from Timber Press in 2021. She is the 2019 recipient of the Garden Club of America’s Sarah Chapman Francis Medal for outstanding literary achievement.

  • Wednesdays, January 20 – March 10, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Landscape Design History, Online

    Study theories and principles that have shaped the design of landscapes from antiquity to the present. Explore Eastern and Western garden traditions. Survey all types of gardens and landscapes, including corporate and public spaces, through visual presentations, assigned readings, projects, and discussion. Landscape designs will be considered in the context of the times and societies in which they were created.

    Please note that the final essay for this class emphasizes research and writing skills, and that English proficiency is required. This New York Botanical Garden class will take place online and registered students will receive log in instructions. Required text: The History of Landscape Design in 100 Gardens, Linda A. Chisholm, 2018. Instructor for this class is Marta McDowell. NYBG members $595, nonmembers $655. To register, and for more information and to see additional session options, visit https://www.enrole.com/nybg/jsp/session.jsp?sessionId=213LAN301FO&courseId=203LAN301O&categoryId=ROOT

  • Monday, April 9, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Boston Committee of the GCA Spring Meeting

    The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America Spring Meeting will take place Monday, April 9, 2018. Please note change of venue: Brae Burn Country Club, 326 Fuller Street,
    West Newton, MA 02465. The morning will begin at 10:00 am with coffee and socialization, followed at 10:30 am by a welcome and business meeting, and, at 11:00 am, the lecture and luncheon. This spring’s guest speaker is Marta McDowell, author of All the President’s Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses – How the White House Grounds Have Grown with America. The book is the winner of a 2017 American Horticultural Society Book Award, and is the fascinating story of America’s first garden. A limited number of Marta’s book will be available for purchase at the luncheon for $25, with advance registration. Members of Boston Committee Clubs will receive a written invitation by mail, but if have not received an invite, visit http://www.bostoncommitteegca.org/contact.html and request additional information. Guests accompanied by Members are welcome.

    Image result for marta mcdowell

  • Sunday, October 29, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm – The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books

    This year is the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday. Her classic coming-of-age story, told through the beloved Little House books, still resonates today as an iconic story of American identity. The inspiration for Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books was born from a life lived in partnership with the land, on homesteads she and her family settled across the Midwest. Marta McDowell’s new book, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, is a revealing exploration of the pioneer writer’s deep connection with the natural world. Following the trail of the Little House series (from Wisconsin to the Dakotas to Missouri) the best-selling author shares intimate details about Wilder and the plants, creatures, and landscapes that are so integral to her stories, they are practically their own characters.

    Featuring the beloved illustrations from the original books and hundreds of historical and contemporary photographs, The World of Ingalls Wilder is a must-have treasure for anyone enchanted by Laura’s wild and beautiful life.

    Marta McDowell lives, gardens, and writes in Chatham, New Jersey. She teaches landscape history and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, where she studied landscape design. Her particular interest is in authors and their gardens, the connection between the pen and the trowel. Her previous books include Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, Emily Dickinson’s Gardens, and All the Presidents’ Gardens. This event will take place at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, on Sunday, October 29 at 12:30, and is free with admission to the garden. For more information visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Sunday, December 11, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm – All the Presidents’ Gardens

    Visit Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge on Sunday, December 11 from 2 – 3:30 to hear a timely lecture by Marta McDowell on Presidential Gardens. Learn the untold history of the White House grounds, starting with the seed-collecting, plant-obsessed George Washington and ending with Michelle Obama’s kitchen garden.

    The talk is filled with fascinating details about Lincoln’s goats, Ike’s putting green, Jackie’s iconic roses, Amy Carter’s tree house, and information on the plants whose favor has come and gone over the years and the gardeners who have been responsible for it all. BBG members $10, nonmembers $15. Register by calling 413-298-3926, or email info@berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Saturday, May 7, 2:00 pm – All the Presidents’ Gardens: Madison’s Cabbages to Kennedy’s Roses

    On Saturday, May 7 beginning at 2 pm at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, author and garden historian Marta McDowell will show us how the White House grounds reflect America’s enthusiasms, from George Washington’s obsession with collecting trees to Michelle Obama’s kitchen garden.  The talk and book signing is free with admission, but pre-registration is required.  Register at www.towerhillbg.org or call 508-869-6111, ext 124.

  • Thursday, June 4 – Monday, June 8 – Garden Days at the Emily Dickinson Museum

    Take part in one of Emily Dickinson’s favorite pastimes – gardening.  Join the staff of The Emily Dickinson Museum June 4-8 for Garden Days, an annual effort to prepare the Museum’s historic grounds for summer. Volunteers with all levels of experience are welcome to plant, weed, and beautify under the direction of landscape historian Marta McDowell, author of Emily Dickinson’s Gardens.

    Garden Days begins on Thursday, June 4, during the monthly Amherst Art Walk. A Garden Days volunteer meet-up and orientation starts at 5 pm, followed by an “art in the garden” session until 7 pm. At 6:45 pm, a poetry reading by Amherst-area poets Seth Landman and Kelin Loe will be held in the Homestead parlor.

    On Saturday, June 6, at 3 pm, Marta McDowell will lead a free tour of the museum grounds. This event is open to the public, and begins in the Homestead garden.

    As a special thank you, Garden Days volunteers are invited to tour the Museum at no charge on Sunday, June 7. Tours will be held at 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm. For more information, or to sign up for a Volunteer Shift below, visit http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/node/473?utm_source=Garden+Days+2015&utm_campaign=Garden+Days+2015&utm_medium=email

    VOLUNTEER SHIFTS
    Friday, June 5
    9 am – noon and 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
    Saturday, June 6
    9 am – noon and 4 pm – 6 pm
    Sunday, June 7
    9 am – noon
    Monday, June 8
    9 am – noon
    Marta McDowell lives, gardens and writes in Chatham, New Jersey. She teaches landscape history and gardening at the New York Botanical Garden, where she was named “Instructor of the Year” in 2011. Her book, Emily Dickinson’s Gardens, was published by McGraw-Hill in 2005, and she was an advisor for the New York Botanical Garden’s 2010 show.

    Her latest book, Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life, was published by Timber Press in 2013. Marta is active in the Chatham Community Garden and is on the board of the NJ Historical Foundation at the Cross Estate in Bernardsville. Her husband, Kirke Bent, summarizes her biography as “I am therefore I dig.”

    Seth Landman is the author of four chapbooks and the full-length poetry collections Confidence (Brooklyn Arts Press, 2015) and Sign You Were Mistaken (Factory Hollow Press, 2013). His work can be found in Boston Review, iO, Jellyfish, Lit, and elsewhere. He received his PhD in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Denver (2013) and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts (2008) where he is currently an Academic Advisor in Humanities and Fine Arts.

    Kelin Loe is the author of These Are The Gloria Stories (Factory Hollow Press 2014) and the chapbook The Motorist (minutesBOOKS 2010). She lives in Northampton, MA, and is working towards a PhD in Rhetoric at UMass Amherst.

    The Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The Evergreens, opens for 2015 on Wednesday, March 4. Museum hours are 11 am to 4 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Find out more about visiting here.

    The Emily Dickinson Museum is dedicated to educating diverse audiences about the poet’s life, family, creative work, times, and enduring relevance, and to preserving and interpreting the Homestead and The Evergreens as historical resources for public and academic enrichment.

    The Emily Dickinson Museum is owned by the Trustees of Amherst College and overseen by a separate Board of Governors. The Museum is responsible for raising its own operating and capital funds.

    The Emily Dickinson Museum is a member of Museums10, a collaboration of ten museums linked to the Five Colleges in the Pioneer Valley–Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.